As a child, hearing that one year was going to end, and another was going to begin, gave me the feeling of two completely different things. For me, it was like leaving one room, and entering another that was completely different. The idea of a new year was, perceiving myself in one place, and then face a total change from one day to the next.
Even in that stage of my innocence, I learned that it is a tradition to make resolutions every new year. But since I couldn’t think of anything, what I did was imitate other people’s resolutions, in addition to the usual ones, to lose weight and save money.
What this caused, was that at the end of each year I had what I considered failed resolutions. And rightly so, because they weren’t exactly mine. They were borrowed.
It took me several years to realize it, even when the calendar only has an additional number in the year, and the months start over, life goes on. This was not a contrasting change, but rather a next step.
With this year about to end, and another to begin, the question arises again, what are your new year’s resolutions?
Previously, after many years of feeling like I was failing to accomplish what I set out to do, I had to pause and consult with my self. And it turns out, that was what I was missing, consulting with my self. I realized that it made more sense for me to ask questions in a different way, which I want to share with you. And they may have a different effect on you too.
These are the questions that you can also ask yourself, ready? In addition to star thinking, also observe your sensations:
What is it that no longer makes sense, what is no longer working, and that I want to change in this new year?
What do I want to be deeply grateful for at the end of the year that is about to begin?
When I ask myself these questions, which I also invite you to ask yourself, let’s take into account our deepest desires, including our physical, mental and spiritual health. We will be able to observe what God invites us to change in this coming year.
Jesus learned to earn a living as a carpenter, a craft he practiced before his public life. You will agree with me that Jesus knows about making plans, learning it from Saint Joseph, right?
It is Jesus, the carpenter who teaches us that we can choose, that we can project and plan.
When things turn out differently, we will have a place to get back on track with the answers we found, and not be left without direction. The answers will not be a destination, but a starting point.
And remember, working in The Workshop of Nazareth, El taller de Nazaret, is the art of working within ourselves.
Marisol
